The article presents an analysis of the possibilities for quantifying brand-building effectiveness in online advertising and substantiates the concept of the integrated tool Brand Effectiveness Score (BES). The study is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines theories of digital brand management, models of personalization and advertising informativeness perception, meta-analytical data on creative media, and methods of analyzing user-generated content in social media. Particular attention is paid to comparing the influence of cognitive and affective factors, including the variables “personalization,” “informativeness,” “flow,” and “privacy concern,” as well as the role of the advertising medium and linguistic signals of user content. It is shown that cognitive drivers (informativeness and brand transparency) strengthen positive attitudes, while mediators such as flow and metaphorical media carriers increase the resilience of brand associations and stimulate electronic word-of-mouth. The necessity of including linguistic indicators from social media (e.g., Temporal Topic Variability) as predictors of consumer preference dynamics and loyalty is substantiated. It is revealed that the key condition for successful calibration of Brand Effectiveness Score (BES) is the integration of multi-level signals, while accounting for sample limitations and the risk of publication bias. The article will be useful for specialists in marketing and digital communications, brand management researchers, digital advertising analysts, and practitioners developing systems for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

The article examines the design and substantiation of an integrated seven-module model for developing the wedding business, intended to provide holistic governance of marketing, creative, and operational processes amid the rapid expansion of the premium market segment. The relevance of the study stems from the sustained growth of the global market for wedding services. However, as demand structures become more complex and the expectations for uniqueness and emotional saturation of events increase, fragmented management tools are deemed inadequate. This paper aims to develop a sequential model that encompasses all essential stages of client interaction, from establishing brand identity and profiling the psychographic audience to developing a loyalty system and implementing scalable operational management. Its novelty is expressed by coupling the seven modules with the customer journey map, not only to remove contradictions between discrete elements of strategy but also to establish a governable logic of business development based on composite metrics. The principal findings confirm that the model ensures process reproducibility, reduces error-induced costs, heightens communication efficiency, and promotes long-term growth by strengthening trust and cultivating client advocacy. Implementation within the first thirty days demonstrated practical viability, as evidenced by audits across all modules, refinement of visual and pricing envelopes, and the systematic delegation of processes, which together form a stable foundation of predictability and service quality. The article will be particularly useful to owners of wedding agencies, premium event managers, researchers in service design, and consultants in customer experience management.

Traditional perimeter-based security models, which assume trust within network boundaries, have become increasingly ineffective against evolving and sophisticated cyber threats. This study examines how Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), based on the principle of "never trust, always verify," and micro-segmentation, which facilitates granular access control, can bolster network security. The research looks closely at the weaknesses of traditional security models, the ideas, and advantages of ZTA and micro-segmentation, the difficulties in using ZTA, the assessment of current Zero Trust frameworks, and the creation of a new combined framework. We conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate existing research, identify key themes, and pinpoint gaps in current knowledge. The findings indicate that significant challenges remain, while ZTA and micro-segmentation offer enhanced protection against insider threats and lateral movement. These include scalability issues in multi-cloud environments, difficulties integrating with legacy systems, interoperability problems, and a lack of standardised evaluation frameworks. The proposed framework aims to bridge existing gaps, fostering a more secure and adaptable approach to mitigating modern cybersecurity risks. The study concludes by emphasising the need for an integrated, scalable, and standards- compliant Zero Trust framework to overcome these limitations and strengthen network security effectively.

The growing digitalization of financial services has raised cybersecurity concerns, highlighting the financial sector as a main target for advanced cyberattacks. Conventional security policies have fallen short against sophisticated threats like bitcoin laundering, blockchain exploitation, and hostile artificial intelligence attacks. Emphasizing its integration inside financial intelligence operations, this paper examines how ethical hacking may be a proactive defence tool, improving financial cybersecurity. A qualitative study of modern literature, worldwide investment patterns, and case studies show that although ethical hacking methods, including penetration testing, red teaming, and vulnerability assessments, efficiently spot vulnerabilities, their use in actual financial settings remains uneven and under-optimized. Cross-border standardization of ethical hacking procedures revealed significant gaps that hampered group defence against worldwide financial crimes. Moreover, the research revealed that ethical hacking was not evolving to meet new technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence-driven platforms, and quantum computing, leaving financial institutions vulnerable to new cyber threats. This paper offers a methodical Operational Model for Ethical Hacking in Financial Cybersecurity to meet all of these challenges, including three primary components: Operationalized as continuous, intelligence-led processes,

(1) Continuous Threat Simulation and Penetration Testing; (2) Cross-Border Compliance and Standardization, supporting internationally recognized testing protocols; and (3) Adaptation to Emerging Technologies, including quantum-resistant cryptographic testing and blockchain penetration protocols. The results highlight the necessity of regulatory systems requiring ongoing ethical hacking evaluations and cross-border cooperation to prevent financial cyber threats. Institutions can improve predictive threat identification, regulatory compliance, and resilience against sophisticated cyber threats by including ethical hacking into financial intelligence processes. By providing a plan for the strategic incorporation of ethical hacking in worldwide financial infrastructures, this study contributes to the discourse on proactive financial cybersecurity.

Graduate employability remains a critical concern for higher education institutions, policymakers, and employers alike. This study explores the key determinants influencing the employability of graduates from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). Using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews with graduates, employers, and academic staff, the research identifies factors such as communication skills, work experience, academic performance, soft skills, and alignment of curriculum with industry needs as significant contributors to employability outcomes. The study also examines the role of Islamic values and character development as distinctive attributes promoted by USIM. Findings suggest that while technical and academic competencies are essential, holistic graduate attributes and industry engagement play a pivotal role in enhancing employability. Recommendations are offered to strengthen institutional strategies aimed at bridging the gap between education and employment in the Malaysian context.

This research aims to examine the impact of corporate governance on accounting policies and practices by highlighting the role of governance mechanisms in enhancing transparency and oversight of financial reporting. To achieve this, the researchers adopted a descriptive-analytical methodology, employing a questionnaire distributed to a sample of external and internal auditors to elicit their views on the effectiveness of governance mechanisms—namely, the board of directors, audit committees, and disclosure and transparency practices—in regulating accounting practices and improving the quality of financial statements. The survey results revealed a general awareness among auditors of the importance of applying governance in reducing opportunities for accounting manipulation and in strengthening confidence in financial information. However, certain weaknesses were identified in practical implementation, particularly concerning the efficiency of committees and disclosure mechanisms. The study concludes that corporate governance constitutes a fundamental tool for regulating accounting policies and recommends strengthening the role of boards of directors and audit committees, as well as enhancing disclosure requirements, to ensure the reliability of financial information.

The emergence of cyberterrorism and the decentralization of radical networks require a fundamental change in counterterrorism intelligence strategies. Conventional surveillance and monitoring methods are becoming insufficient for identifying early-stage radicalization and advanced digital threats. This research examines the strategic operationalization of ethical hacking to improve intelligence capabilities. The primary objectives are three: to evaluate the contribution of ethical hacking to real-time threat detection, to analyse its impact on disrupting digital radicalization pathways, and to assess its effectiveness in enhancing intelligence-led counterterrorism operations. The research utilizes a qualitative, document-based approach informed by the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Data was collected via a systematic review of verified case studies (e.g., Operation Trojan Shield, CDX 2023), national cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., GDPR, ISO 27001), and peer-reviewed literature from 2020 to 2025. The analysis employed thematic content analysis, facilitating the identification of trends among security agencies, legal instruments, and technology use cases pertinent to ethical hacking. The results demonstrate that (1) ethical hacking methods, including penetration testing and red teaming, effectively reveal concealed vulnerabilities in national intelligence systems; (2) semantic monitoring and AI-enhanced surveillance have decreased online extremist content by as much as 64% on specific platforms; (3) ethical hacking markedly enhances operational readiness and proactive intelligence collection. Nonetheless, limitations remain owing to legal ambiguity, institutional silos, and the absence of standardized frameworks for cross-border coordination. The research indicates that ethical hacking functions not only as a reactive cybersecurity measure but also as a proactive intelligence strategy that can influence national and global counterterrorism policies. The proposal advocates for the formal incorporation of ethical hacking within national security agencies, increased investment in AI-driven technologies, and the promotion of international collaboration for legal standardization and intelligence exchange. Ethical hacking plays a crucial role in counterterrorism and intelligence operations by addressing digital radicalization. Techniques such as semantic monitoring and penetration testing are essential for enhancing security measures. Additionally, AI surveillance contributes significantly to these efforts.

The article examines the problem of smoothing seasonal fluctuations in inbound tourism through the design and implementation of specialized off-season programs and itineraries. The relevance of the study derives from the fact that the temporal concentration of tourist flows intensifies the phenomenon of overtourism, undermining the economic resilience, social well-being, and ecological balance of destinations. This paper attempts a critical analysis of desezonalization strategies in the cases of Cyprus, Malta, and Georgia by extracting some universal factors that guarantee success. The novelty introduced here is by making a comparison between mature and developing destinations through their market structure, stakeholder coordination capacity prism, and an application of big-data analytics to air accessibility management. In methodology, it undertakes a systematic literature review. It processes official statistics on tourist arrivals for the years 2017 and 2023, in addition to comparing national strategic documents on product diversification, market development, transport infrastructure, and institutional governance. The main findings are: (1) without a paradigmatic shift from quantitative growth to higher revenue per tourist and quality of experience, formal diversification of supply does not work, (2) in mature destinations, political will and an embedded mechanism of inter-agency coordination decide, as evidenced by Malta that reduced the seasonality coefficient to 1.53, (3) developing markets can rapidly curb seasonality when they depend on data-based expansion of air networks and targeting market with reverse seasonality as demonstrated by Georgia, and finally (4) key barrier still lies within the implementation gap manifested through business model inertia and insufficient incentive for year-round operation. On this basis, a cyclical model of seasonality management is proposed, integrating long-term strategic planning, big-data analytics, and public–private partnership. The article will be helpful to researchers of sustainable tourism, designers of national and regional strategies, and destination marketing practitioners seeking to reduce seasonal dependence.

The article is devoted to the analysis of risks accompanying the scaling of technology startups to global markets and to the development of strategies for their controlled mitigation. The relevance of the study is determined by the accelerated growth in the number of projects initially oriented toward an international audience, as well as the high uncertainty of the external environment that accompanies their evolution. The scientific novelty lies in a holistic consideration of the risk profile using the material of a specific case — the startup aquabreather, which develops innovative equipment for diving. The study reconstructs the key stages of the go-to-market strategy and analyzes the behavioral characteristics of consumers in the extreme sports segment. Special attention is paid to financial, operational, and marketing risks. The aim of the work is to identify and structure the principal scaling risks and to propose an adapted model for their management. The methodological basis includes analysis of scholarly literature, case study, and comparative analysis. The sources considered cover issues of venture financing, business strategies, and the marketing of innovative products. The materials of the article are addressed to entrepreneurs, venture investors, and researchers in the fields of management and innovation.

The article presents a broad analysis of the prospects for using cryptocurrency payments in the retail automotive services industry. The study is conducted within an interdisciplinary paradigm that combines elements of digital economy, blockchain technologies, institutional regulation, and applied models of consumer behavior. Special attention is given to comparing empirical data on trust, intention, and user recommendations with the technical characteristics of consensus algorithms and peer-to-peer payment systems. Based on the analysis of recent studies, barriers and drivers of cryptocurrency adoption are examined, including issues of authentication security, network scalability, and resilience to fork risks. It is revealed that trust acts as the decisive factor for the acceptance of digital currencies, while technological reliability forms the foundation for institutional legitimacy and the scaling of payment practices. The study emphasizes the necessity of a comprehensive approach in which social attitudes and regulatory support strengthen the perception of reliability, while optimized blockchain mechanisms ensure transparency and transaction speed. The article offers an original interpretation of promising directions for the development of cryptocurrency payments in automotive services, including the integration of hybrid consensus solutions, institutional standardization, and adaptation to regional consumer behavior models. The material will be of interest to researchers in digital economy, transport innovations, financial technologies, and institutional governance, as well as practitioners working on the implementation of cryptocurrency payments in the automotive industry.